House of the Day: 482 East 16th Gets a Trim

I can tell from the address (and the pix of the back yard) that this house abuts the subway cut. Traditionally, houses next to the subway cut sell for hundreds of thousands less than they would if they were located just across the street. Some buyers make it clear at the get go that they do not want to see houses along the tracks; for others, the noise is not a huge issues, and the decreased price tag provides entry into a neighborhood that is becomine increasingly expensive with each passing day.

This house obviously needs some work, and I'm not grooving on the siding or the cheaply encased original columns. However, all of that can be dealt with by the new owner - if the house is priced accordingly. I think, now, with the price drop, it's getting closer.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 7, 2006 12:31 PM

yeah- it's on the tracks. When I was looking in Vic. Flatbush, we saw a few houses on the tracks before eliminating the category from our consideration set. But as precious poster has stated, these houses were always considerably lower in price. Anyway, Besides the noise, these lots are not as deep as the others in the neighborhood- something like 50x75 instead of 50x100. And the train running through the backyard would get to me. Thus the price drop.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 7, 2006 12:39 PM

For such a big company you would think Corcoran would ante up a bit more cash for better photos! It is ok but it depends on the lot size and noise level.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 7, 2006 12:51 PM

The price now sounds about right to me, assuming it doesn't need too much work. The subway line is probably what led to the price drop - and rightfully so.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 7, 2006 2:01 PM

What's up w/ Corcoran lately. If you look at all the listings they have in Ditmas Park, the photo's are just awful. I thought they hired professionals to take photos.
Any way, I saw the house besides the train, I found the house to be very dark and depressing...

Posted by: Anonymous at November 7, 2006 2:10 PM

For 6% commission, I would want much much better photo's, I don't care how much traffic a site gets, those are really bad photos. They have no excuse especially with how easy it is to take a good photo w/ a simply $200 digital camera.. Professional or no professional, the agent could do better then that.

But on another note, those photos really do show how dark the house really is…

Posted by: Anonymous at November 7, 2006 6:16 PM

Or do they? I bet this house is not as dark as those photos suggest.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 7, 2006 6:31 PM

My Brown Harris Stevens broker provided a professional photographer to take the pictures of our place, and we're not even a big 7-figure property. We're just a co-op. But the pictures did the job, looked great, brought people in, and we just sold after being listed for just under two months. Not bad. As for Corcoran, I always notice and not just in the Ditmas listings, that their photos are really bad. Unless a house or condo/co-op gets lots of natural sunlight, you need a professional camera with a big flash on it, to photograph the rooms properly. No way around it. If a seller's realtor won't do it, he/she should go ahead and pay to rent the camera or hire a professional photographer themselves in a softer market like it is now. Great idea for a local photographer hobbyist with high quality equipment btw, to hire him/herself out to photograph real estate digitally at reasonable rates.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 8, 2006 12:49 PM

its not just the noise, but the vibration. i'm a block away off cia and this little enclave is just that, surrounded by projects, rentals and car repair shops... courtelou is ok, but in general, people who can afford to live here don't walk much further than their driveway.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 8, 2006 9:17 PM

actually there are no projects in this area... apt.'s, yes. you are misinformed. also many coops.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 9, 2006 2:27 PM

yeah 2:27 is correct. no housing projects anywhere near this area. if, 9:17, you live nearby as you say you do then you should know that. And 16th street is about 5 blocks from the nearest Car repair shop so really, THAT is not an issue. Subway, however, still is.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 9, 2006 8:58 PM

It is not the subway vibration that would get to me. It is the fact I would need to carry a gun to get a quart of milk.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 9, 2006 9:46 PM

ok... no 'projects' but enough subsidised housing to make it a little pooish.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 9, 2006 10:26 PM

Oh please - don't start with the carrying a gun around thing again. It is getting old and shows your ignorance. You might argue the house is overpriced because it isn't a rich, already fully established neighborhood but the reactionary gun carrying, bullet dodging comments are lame. I live in the neighborhood, next to numerous families that have raised their children here and none of us are wielding weapons or dodging bullets. For the record, either are my friends who live in Bed Sty, Clinton Hill or Lefferts. The fact that minorities and people who are not millionaires live in a neighborhood does not automatically make it a war zone.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 9, 2006 11:50 PM

"It is the fact I would need to carry a gun to get a quart of milk."

Ummm. No.

"ok... no 'projects' but enough subsidised housing to make it a little pooish."

Not really.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 10:33 AM

dude... north of church IS pooish. and the folk to the south do not go there. in fact, they most likely get in their car and go to other nabs like cg or ps.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 10, 2006 9:54 PM

right. this house isn't NORTH OF CHURCH.

Posted by: Anonymous at November 11, 2006 10:22 PM

guess what im sayin is its pooish to the north and there aint nothin to the south, east and west suck too. so youre stuck in no mans land...

Posted by: Anonymous at November 12, 2006 8:06 PM

You clearly have no knowledge of this area. Why do you keep posting about it?

Posted by: Anonymous at November 13, 2006 10:38 AM